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The story opens with Mary and Alec considering running off to Las Vegasto marry but being the wonderful daughter that she is, Mary is honoringher father's wish for a big wedding.

Papa Christmas has brought his little girl home and Alec is none to happy about the separation and neither is Mary. Papa is determined Alec will not take advantage of hislittle girl like he did during the Christmas season.

A friend from Mary's past shows up. A "friend" from Alec's not too distant past rear their ugly head.

Alec is a woman's true dream man and Mary's got him.

.

All I Want is You

CHAPTER ONE

“There will be no running away to Las Vegas to get married. I didn’t agree to it on New Year’s Eve and I am not doing so now!”

“Daddy,” Mary whined. She felt as if she was seven years old again. Not much had changed now that she was thirty-two.

Retired veterinarian Joseph Christmas was well into his sixties standing at six feet four and two-hundred and sixty pounds. He was still as imposing as he had been when she was his “bitty baby girl”. She knew by the look on his dark and still attractive face that she was losing the battle.

“Don’t look at me that way Mare. I’m not going to give you my blessings to run off and have a fly by wedding with this man.” Joe reiterated. The more annoyed he got the more prominent his Alabama accent became.

“It’s been two months since Alec and I announced our plans to get married. I thought you had come to terms with the fact that the man I love is Caucasian.”

Joe cocked a thick eyebrow at her. “This is not a race issue and you know it, Mare. I can’t believe you’d even think such a thing. If it wasn’t for how me and your mother raised you, you would never had been opened minded enough to fall in love with him in the first place.”

Mary turned beseeching eyes on her mother Miriam sitting quietly on the sofa with her bare feet curled beneath her as she looked from her husband to her daughter.

“We are at a stalemate, Mommy. Whatever you say goes.”

“Are you both sure you can’t compromise in some way? I do hate choosing sides. We are a family,” Miriam reasoned. “You two adults should be able to discuss this without a mediator.”

Mary turned her gaze on her father. “Daddy, I’m in my thirties. I don’t need a big wedding to be happy. All I want is Alec and he loves me. If we have a big wedding the media will come out in droves.”

“Not if we have it here in Alabama,” he countered.

“Unfortunately love doesn’t allow you to choose who you fall in love with. I happened to fall in love with a well-recognized millionaire playboy business tycoon who has dated super models, actresses, and socialites very publically. There is no way he is going to be able to give up his vowed bachelorhood quietly once you bring in the wedding planners, the caters, and send out invitations.”

“A newspaper announcement that our only daughter is engaged…” Miriam threw in, “It would be nice to brag a little bit.”

“Definitely not that,” Mary grimaced. “Alec being the gossip rags “bachelor darling” has already made us more cautious. We are trying to keep this a small private family affair.”

“Used goods, is what HE is,” Joe muttered. “My daughter deserves better, than all those other women’s leftover. You sure he wants to keep it quiet because he doesn’t want those women knowing he’s the marryin’ kind after all?” His dark brown eyes narrowed. “Or maybe he doesn’t want the world knowing he’s marryin’ a Black Woman and he wants to keep you his “dark” little secret.”

Mary rolled her eyes. Who thought such things these days? “Daddy, do you think that I would truly fall in love with a man who would be ashamed to be seen with me in public? Do you think I wouldn’t be able to know if my man was ashamed of me? This was my suggestion because I didn’t want to be listed up there with all the women he’s dated in the past.”

“You think you going to keep the press down forever? He is a public figure and are you going to stay home when he has to do all those public functions he’s seen at? What you going to tell him gal? Your momma has been supportive through my career and a man looks for his woman to be by his side! Are you going to stress over how you look to the public? You know your health won’t be able to take the strain,” Joe argued.

“Because I love Alec, I’m going to do whatever it takes to make things work for the both of us, Daddy. I just want my wedding to not be some big show boat!”

“A father gets this opportunity once, Mare. To make a big whoop about his daughter’s wedding. This man is already limiting your happiness. Now if you would marry someone like…say…Cedric Thomas, he would make a fine husband for you.”

“Cedric? Awe, come on. Why you bring him up after all this time?” Mary snorted and rolled her eyes heavenward; throwing up a tiny prayer to help her remain respectful to the man that gave her life.

“Yeah, bitty baby girl,” he threw in the childhood endearment to soften his protest to her current male choice. “You grew up together and you have common Christian God fearin’ backgrounds. He’s a big time doctor now and had a practice in Atlanta but he’s come back home. Maybe you should pay him a visit while you’re here.”

Mary remembered Cedric very well. They were childhood friends, and he was her first love; though she never felt that Cedric was interested in anymore then acting like her brother. He watched over her and kept others from picking on her because she was fat. That is until his girlfriend Monica came into the picture.

Monica was the typical popular girl that seemed to have it all. She was a beauty queen and head cheerleader. Her family was wealthy and her body was perfect.

She was healthy and everything Mary could never be. Monica could join Cedric in the many outdoor activities that she could only enjoy from the wayside. No one was surprised; not even her, when Cedric proposed to Monica their senior year of high school.

Everything she and Cedric had discussed like going to the same college and opening into a medical practice together changed. Without her best friend, she decided to go into business management, while he stuck to the plan only with a different girl. She hadn’t been bitter by his change of loyalties. He fell in love and she understood, but she had been disappointed to find out he was just like every other guy in school after all.

“Daddy, Cedric never asked me out like that. Now, we just talk on holidays and birthdays.” She lightly shrugged off the thought. “Isn’t he and Monica still married?”

“They divorced three years ago.” Her mother was the one to answer.

“He never said a thing.” Mary voice was full of surprise. “But why would he to me? We stopped discussing Monica years ago.”

“Why? Were you jealous?” Joe asked.

“Give me a break, Dad.” She rolled her eyes. “Monica didn’t want his female sidekick intruding on her perfect relationship. Good thing I stayed out of it, or she’d probably be blaming me for her failed marriage.”

Joe and Miriam changed looks that wasn’t lost on her.

“Okay, what’s with the look?”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

“Don’t huh me, what’s going on.”

“Err…Cedric asks about you every time he comes by the house. He stops in and has dinner with us at least one Sunday a month. He talks about you all the time, Mare,” Joe grinned at her. “He’s really missed you since you moved to Seattle. I suppose he made it known to Monica that casting aside your close friendship was the worse decision he’d ever made.”

“Oh great,” she snorted. “So what you’re saying is even though I didn’t interfere she is blaming me for her failed marriage? Even if that was the case, I admit Cedric was my first crush, but I’ve been available all my life waiting for Cedric or any other man to get beyond the not so pretty packaging and see that I had a lot of love to give; but it never happen. So I don’t need to hear this now.”

“Honey, I’m just tellin’ you this because if you have feelings for Cedric this would be the time to do something now. Don’t regret it years from now and break Alec’s heart.” Joe argued.

“Daddy, I have always been the “fat girl” or the “girl with the weird disease”. I was the one who was always last to be asked to a dance. I was always the “friend” and never the “girlfriend.” Mary’s eyes burned with unshed tears. She pushed up her glasses. “Ced had his chance and he too chose the “beauty queen” girl.”

“Still, Cedric stood by you when others picked on you and he took you to your first dance.” Joe reminded.

“He still didn’t ask me to be his girlfriend,” Mary countered. “Alec has been the first man to look at me with eyes that make me believe for that moment I’m beautiful and healthy. To him my weight, surgical scars and skin grafts don’t matter. He has everything he could possibly want and he could have any woman; but he chose me.”

“Mare, no one is denying Alec is a likable guy. It’s just he’s your first relationship. Don’t you think you should give yourself some time to make sure that you aren’t marrying him just because you believe you can’t get anyone else?”

“Dad--”

“Baby Girl, I’m not tryin’ to hurt you. I just don’t want you to sell yourself short. Your mother and I know you’ve always dreamed that when you got married you would have a big glorious wedding,” Joe stated. “We know this because we still have your dream wedding scrapbook. We saw the clippings of dresses--”

“With my head cut out and pasted on the bodies that I wish were mine,” she abruptly interrupted. “That dream never came true either but I learned a long time ago life isn’t made up of perfect people or perfect weddings. I’ve learned to be happy with the small things in life.”

“You mean, you stopped dreaming,” Joe countered. “You are living your dream now right? I guess what I’m trying to say is…if you are about to marry the man of your dreams and you want to spend the rest of your life with him, why are you doing this drive-by weddin’ in Vegas that you’re talkin’ about?”

“Because you declared that Alec and I need to stay apart until we marry or you wouldn’t approve of the marriage!”

“I didn’t quite say “stay apart”. I said no more sleeping together until you are married, baby girl.” Joe fussed. “I’m also not beyond locking you in your room, if I have to. There is no reason for a woman to be giving the milk up for free. You know the saying.”

“Joe, you’re being a hypocrite.” Miriam injected. “I’m sure my father would appreciate the irony of this moment if he were still alive.”

“Well baby, now that I am a father myself, I would apologize for what I put him through. I will send a prayer up to him tonight instead. But Miriam, you have to be wonderin’ what I’m wonderin’ about?”

“Daddy, what are you wonderin’?” Mary asked. “Just ask me. You ain’t held your tongue about anything else.”

“Mary, watch your tone,” her mother chided softly.

“Yes, ma’am,” she murmured contritely.

Mary’s southern accent was becoming more pronounced and her jeans a little tighter with each passing day she spent in the southern comfort of her big family and their weekly gatherings. She had to get back to her life in Seattle soon.

“I’m a wonderin’ what the big hurry is?” His eyes narrowed on her face before going over her short two hundred pound frame. “Is there something you aren’t tellin’ us?”

She shook her head and released an agitated sigh. “I’m not pregnant if that is what you’re asking. I’m not careless dad. ”

“Considering we caught you two on the floor of his family holiday home fornicating like nobody’s business. It looked like a lot of carelessness was going on,” Joe exclaimed.

Mary groaned and covered her face flushed from the memory. “It wasn’t supposed to go that far. Alec was in the middle of proposing and I suppose we got carried away…”

“Sorry? Well, you should be.” Joe cleared his throat. “The horror of the flashbacks I experience is enough. No father should be a witness to such horror.” He suppressed an exaggerated shiver.

Mary grimaced.

“Nor a mother,” Miriam chuckled in agreement. “If children think that walking in on their parents is awful they should see the roles reversed.”

“Okay…okay, you two, I get the picture and you’ve made your opinions clear. You aren’t happy with me and Alec having sex before marriage. We are trying to respect your wishes and be together at the same time. It’s not easy and getting married quickly is the only way Alec and I know how to do this to make everyone happy. What other options are you giving us?”

“This doesn’t sound like you, Mare. Why are you ready to give up your dream…our dream…of having a proper wedding? Is he pressuring you? He can’t do without sex long enough for us to do a wedding up right for our only child?” He shook his balding head muttering, “For all we know this man could be one of those sex addicts we hear about. Every year the magazines do a collage of his past conquests.”

“Joseph, you should change your argument because lord knows how you get when you don’t get sex in a timely manner.” Miriam gave him a knowing glare from across the room. “Also what man doesn’t have a dating past? The man is in his thirties, for God sakes.”

“Miriam!”

“Mom!”

Joe and Mary cried out in unison.

Recovering quickly he changed his argument. “I personally think the boy is frightened that you may wake up and see you are getting the short end of the stick. He fears that other men are going to see in you what he sees and you will pursue your options.” He moved to stand next to the sofa.

“Daddy, Alec is a good man. He has accomplished a lot in his life and I’m honored that he proposed to me. He didn’t have to. I was a willing participant.”

Joe groaned. “You sure you’re not marrying him for the wrong reasons. He’s a very wealthy man. Money? Is that making you blind to his faults?”

“I can’t believe you,” Mary balked. “Daddy, do you think you and mom raised an opportunist? Yeah, he is wealthy. However he wasn’t born into a wealthy family. He’s not some spoiled and pampered trust fund baby. Nor is he only what the media plays him out to be.”

“Hmm,” Joe grunted.

“Do you think I would fall in love with him, otherwise?” Mary pushed up her glasses on the bridge of her nose. “Dad, you met and spent Christmas and New years with him and his family and you know that his parents Dr. and Mrs. Mercer are amazing hard working class people like you and mom.” Mary reasoned. “Are you both saying I made a mistake in falling in love with Alec?”

“No we are not!” Miriam interjected firmly. “Joe, enough is enough. You make it sound as if Alec being able to financially care for our daughter is a bad thing. The evident love that young man has for our Mary was written all over his face; in ever stare and touch.” She reached out and took her husband’s hand, her brown eyes softening. “Darlin’, look at how sincere he was when he formally asked, no begged—because you didn’t make it easy on him—for our Mary’s hand in marriage.”

“Miriam--”

“Besides, look at the size of that ring on her finger. There is nothing wrong with marrying a man for his money.”

“Mommy, not you too,” Mary rested her head against her fist as she leaned back against the kitchen counter. She shook her head.

“I’m just teasing you, darling.” Miriam chuckled. “Still you have to admit something that big, sparkly, and pretty makes it hard to say “no” even if you need time to think about it.”

“I love him and he loves me. Is there anything more important than that?” Mary countered. “We want to get married in a small private ceremony--”

“Daughter of mine, I’m sayin’ once again that it is not possible with a family our size,” Joe barked. “We do this right or I can’t give you my blessing. We have been saving up to give you the wedding you dreamed about since you were a child and I will not have my good Christian daughter sneaking off to Vegas as if she has something to be ashamed of. We are going to do it up right or not at all.”

“Okay everyone, I need to know what we are going to do before I talk to Alec tonight and obviously since Dad isn’t going to compromise. Mommy, you must decide. Do we have a small wedding in Vegas or a big traditional southern affair here?”

“For once I agree with Mary.” Joe looked from his daughter to his wife with a nod of his head he grumbled, “Honey, whatever you decide we will agree to.”

“Are you sure what I say will go for the both of you?” She asked.

They both nodded.

Miriam gave them a wide smile and clapped her hands together. “I better get the engagement announcement together along with a photo to send to the local newspaper. Mary, do you think Alec can come here and do a photo sitting with you.”

“I think a single photo or our girl will do just fine for the engagement, Miriam.”

“Come now, you two. There is much to do if we are going to get a formal wedding planned in six months time--”

“Six months!” Mary repeated. “No way, unless you can get dad to agree that Alec and I can be together.”

“You mean have sex?” Joe shouted. “No way would any decent God fearing father agree to such a thing for his little girl.”

“The both of you stop!” Miriam yelled. “We are going to have a big wedding and we will do so in three months time. Joe you will get use to the idea your baby girl is not a “little girl” any more and yes, she has sex. Mary, you will respect your father’s feeling and refrain from anymore public sex on the floor of other folk’s houses.” Mary noticed her mother’s lip tremble as she fought to keep from laughing. “Joe, you keep worrying about my sexual happiness and you won’t have time to worry about nobody else’s bedroom business.”

Joe grinned and winked at his wife. “You know I do you right, woman.”

Mary groaned. She had been a virgin when she met Alec and now that they had crossed over that obstacle they could barely keep their hands off of one another. She wouldn’t be away from him now if she hadn’t wanted to convince her father on the idea of a quick jaunt to Vegas with her and Alec to wed.

These days she seemed to be incapable of making anyone completely happy. Alec wasn’t happy when she left him, but he tried to be understanding and for that she was grateful. Her dad wasn’t happy that she had given up her virginity before marriage and her mother wasn’t happy at the idea of a small wedding.

She was an only child to elderly parents and their blessings and happiness were important to her. Making sure that they and Alec, along with his family got along well would determine how their future as an interracial family would proceed. She didn’t want to bring children into an intense situation.

It was true what her father had said. She did have big dreams of how her wedding would be. What girl doesn’t at one time or another? This was supposed to be one of those joyful moments and here she was riddled with worry.

It worried her that she wouldn’t be able to commence her new position as Alec’s assistant at work, but they hadn’t had the chance through Christmas and New Year’s to discuss if she was to continue working by his side now that their relationship was no longer a professional one. Alec probably had to go through the temp service once again. Would he hire an executive assistant who skills were more important than her looks? Or would he return to hiring deceptive educated bimbos whose goals in life was to snag one of Seattle’s most eligible millionaires, from his best friend Allison James’s employment service? Well, he wasn’t eligible anymore; but he wasn’t married yet either.

You’re wearing his ring dummy, stop worrying. She chided herself. She needed to trust in his love for her or she shouldn’t be marrying him. Hopefully it would be enough to keep him faithful and if it wasn’t, then it was best to find out before she married him.

In the end of her mental ranting Mary had convinced herself that the time apart would give them the chance to make sure they were doing the right thing. More than the fear of Alec finding someone else to love, Mary feared being another failed marriage statistic and losing everything after they had built a home and had children.

How was she going to break it to Alec that she would be remaining in Alabama at her parent’s? And how was he going to take the news about a bog wedding and most likely wouldn’t have a moment alone for the next three months?

She groaned.

CHAPTER TWO

Alec Mercer threw down his cell phone with a low curse. He leaned back in the leather office chair. Placing his elbows on the arms of the chair he crossed his feet on the corner of his desk and closed his eyes.

It had only been a week since they parted but he missed Mary. He called her twice and received her voicemail both times. Why wasn’t she picking up his call? The very minute her father insisted that she fly back to Alabama with them instead of returning to Seattle with him and his parents he knew this would happen.

Joe Christmas was still very upset about the position he found Mary and him in upon his arrival. Alec had thought up some stupid ideas over the years but that one had taken the cake, and it also took Mary away from him. He knew the man wouldn’t be happy until he made him suffer a little bit.

He couldn’t blame him. If he and Mary had a daughter and if he were to catch her making out with some guy, he probably would kill the guy. So Joe taking his daughter far from him until they married was probably a good idea; or so he thought it was as long as they were going to go to Las Vegas soon and tie the knot.

What if she changed her mind? He wondered. “No, Mary loves me. I know she does.”

“Then why are you sitting here in the dark worrying about it?”

Alec opened one eye slowly to peep up at his best friend Allison James. He made out her brown lovely face in the semi-darkness of his office.

“I’m not worried,” Alec countered. “Besides, what are you doing here in my office this late all up in my business?”

She reached over and cut on the desk lamp and he squinted.

“I’ve been thinking…”

“Uh-oh.”

Ignoring his sarcasm she continued. “If I’m to be your best man/best woman I think I should have a say in the matter don’t you.”

“You don’t want to stand up for me?” A light frown puckered his brow.

“Mary was a virgin right?” Allison asked.

“What does that have to do with anything?” He tilted his head to the side in question.

“Alec, I may be a dyke but I’m still a woman and I can’t see any girl waiting this long to lose her virginity to the man she loves happily, wanting a quick ten cent wedding in Las Vegas.”

“Your point is what?”

She rolled her dark brown eyes. “I’m saying she deserves a wedding; a real one. It’s not like you can’t afford to give her something wonderful and unforgettable. Don’t you think she is worth it? Or is this some ploy to appease your guilt from taking her innocence?”

“Of course Mary is worth it!” He snapped. “The only thing I feel guilty about is not asking her what kind of wedding she wants. I assumed she is as anxious as I am to begin our life together and there is no way her father was going to allow her to move in with me until we married.”

“Does she want to move in with you?”

“Mary isn’t the type to do the “living together” thing,” Alec said.

“I meant does she want to move to your place, or does she expect you to move into hers, or are you two planning to look for a new home together?” Ally asked.

Alec released a long sigh. He rubbed his fingers across his eyes wearily. How could he be thinking of a wedding when there was so much he and Mary had yet to discuss?

“We haven’t discussed it.”

“Then why are you rushing her to marry you? You knock her up?”

“Of course I didn’t.” Alec paused. His attractive face became contemplative before he answered. “At least I don’t think so.”

“Oh, damn Al! The more I hear you talk the more I think you had no business messing around with the “good-girl” type, like Mary.”

Alec stuck up his middle finger and pulled a face at her. Allison has been his best friend since they were kids. They had hooked up once and after him she realized she was a lesbian. Every time he thought about it he wasn’t sure if he should feel insulted or not; but feeling no sexual connection to Ally made remaining best friends easy.

There was no awkwardness between them and they talked about everything including the fact that until Mary came along they had the same taste in women’ big hips, thighs, and curves everywhere. Ally was the only one who knew he was personally attracted to big beautiful women.

“I didn’t ask to fall in love with Mary, Ally.” He shrugged and grinned. “I just do. She makes me happy.”

Ally returned his smile and nodded her head. “I can see that and I know I’m fussing at you, but someone has to be the voice of reason when your head is in the clouds.”

“You are right, you know.”

“I usually am, but I rarely ever hear you say it.” She snorted at him. “So tell me what exactly am I right about?”

“Mary deserves a wedding. A real wedding,” he conceded. “When I came up with the Vegas idea it was because I was doing everything within my power to keep her with me, but her father made her feel guilty and she was force to leave me anyway.”

“Old man Christmas wasn’t having it; was he?”

“I knew by Joseph Christmas’s reaction after catching us together that there was no snow ball’s chance in hell that man was going to allow me to get my hands on his daughter again without a wedding certificate.”

They shared a knowing look and laughed.

“So, we are going to have a wedding. Damn. I’ll get to throw you a bachelor party and everything.” She clapped and rubbed her hands together.

“Keep it tame, Ally,” he warned.

“You want the usual supermodels? Or maybe we can have some drag queens. That will keep things tame." She gave him a teasing wink. "At least for a few of us. A few of our down-low straight dog friends don't let a penis stop them."

Before Alec could reply his cell phone rang and he hurriedly picked it up to look at the screen and saw the words “My Curvy Sweetheart” on the mini screen. A big smile came to his lips.

“Ally, I meant tame like a poker game, band video tapes from the old days and pizza?”

“You’re kidding right? Your final night of freedom and you want just a bunch of dicks in breeches playing poker and reminiscing over the good old days?”

“Unless, you want to strip for us,” he teased.

“You’re fucking hen pecked already,” Ally muttered.

Alec was too happy to disagree. He answered the call. “Hey sweetheart…not at all. You know you can call me anytime. I miss you very much. When can I see you?”

Ally snickered and mimicked the mushy loving change in his voice.

He cut his eyes at her and lowered his legs from his desk to swivel around his desk chair and look out at the skyline view of Seattle from his 33rd floor office.

“Before you tell me what you want to tell me. I need to apologize to you,” Alec continued. “For, being selfish in doing what I wanted to do without asking you what you want. Neither one of us have ever been married before. I want to spend what’s left of my life with you; so I think we need to do this right.”

He paused and listened.

Laughingly he said, “Is that relief I hear in your voice? Ah, it stands to reason that your parents would want you to have a proper wedding.”

Listening the smile turned into a look of gloom.

“Mary, please tell me I didn’t hear you say you promised your parents that you will remain with them until the wedding?” His voice grew louder. “How long did you say?”

Alec was momentarily distracted by Allison’s laughter behind him. His scowl deepened. “Ally, is being a pain,” he explained when Mary asked. “Huh? What am I going to do about an assistant until May? Yeah I can ask her. Suddenly you don’t mind my having supermodels for assistants?”

“Oh for you I have matronly assistants ready to help.”

“Huh?” Surprised Alec swiveled the chair back around to look at Allison but it was Mary that supplied the answer in his ear. “You, talked to Ally already? When? Ah…I see. You were giving her advice because you felt she was discriminating in her hiring practices." Alec repeated with a grin at Ally’s expression. "That's my Mary.”

Allison nodded at him with a serene smile saying.

“Yup, Ally likes you too. I’m sure you will be great friends.”

Allison winked at him and murmured, “Kissing friends.”

Alec squinted a silent warning; thinking, she better not even think about turning that dangerous female prowess charm of hers on his Mary.

“No Mary, I’m not upset. I want this time to be special and memorable for everyone. I want the photos for our children to look at and giggle at how funny mom and pop’s hair looks.” He chuckled as she threw in her dreams about their future. His chest tightened. He wanted to see her, to hold her and kiss her full mouth until she was breathless and his knees knocked together.

He missed the cushioned softness of her curves pressed against his body and the feel of being deep inside her tight moist warmth. Three months? Oh God. He groaned inwardly not wanting her to feel any worse about the wait. He could hear in her voice she was as disappointed as he was, but he could also hear the barely contained excitement in her voice as she talked about a wedding scrapbook she’d had since she was a little girl. How could he deny her anything?

“I want you to have everything you dreamed of Mary. I will extend my help to your parents.” He smiled again. “Yup, I know…I know…but it’s my wedding to and I should help pay for it. I’m not going to argue with you about this Mary.”

“I told you a virginal woman would want a big wedding, dumb ass.”

He glared at Allison.

“We can discuss it,” Alec spoke into the phone. “When can I see you? I miss you. You miss me too don’t you?”

Allison stuck a finger in her opened mouth and pretended to gag.

But Mary was crooning words of love in his ear with a little dirty talk thrown in that immediately brought his cock to attention so Allison was just a blur in front of him as he smiled and closed his eyes. He pictured his future wife’s wide grin with her short spaced teeth, her full cheeks and heart shaped mouth. The round curved of her dark eyebrows, long lashes over puppy brown eyes.

Her beautiful warm eyes caused him to take a second look at her. Mary thought she could hide her loveliness behind the glasses she wore.

She hadn’t fooled him one bit. He could see behind her modest style of dressing, the demure way she sometimes wore her shoulder length hair in a bun at the nape of her neck she had the feminine roundness a man could get a hold of and sink into. She had a sexuality that was potent, yet she had no idea that men found her attractive. Her being a virgin had been a pleasant surprise and as selfish as it was for someone as promiscuous as he had been to think it, he was arrogant in his pride at being her first lover.

Clearing his throat he opened his eyes. “Uh sweetheart, I’m not alone. Ally is here, remember?” A deep soft laugh escaped his throat. He felt childish and silly but he loved the feeling. “Are you trying to distract me for a reason? I notice you didn’t say when we could see each other.” He listened. “What the hell? Your father is making me suffer painfully, is he? I’ve already apologized a hundred times over since Christmas.”

His face went blank. Apparently, comical even; since Allison fell to her knees out of her chair in silent laughter pointing at his face.

“Mary you tell him I’m apologetic but I have my limits. I’m not waiting until our wedding to spend some time with you. There is much we need to talk about.”

His eyes closed and he released a long sigh. “I’m not yelling.”

“Yes you are.” Ally said expressing Mary’s exact words.

“I’m sorry,” Alec apologized sheepishly. “Did I tell you how much I am missing you?” He nodded as she spoke even thought he knew she couldn’t see him. Alec knew better then to try and out speak a woman. “I love you too and I will call you once I get home. I’m not done with this, Mary. I am not going to wait three months to get some alone time with my fiancée.”

“You’re yelling again,” Allison warned in a sing-song voice.

“Okay, but when I call you later I want an answer as to when I will be seeing you.” He rubbed the throbbing place over the bridge of his nose.

“I will be calling your cell phone. If I call on the house phone your father probably will put us on a timer.”

He laughed with her when she agreed.

“You want to do what?” He could feel his ears turning red. Alec turned his chair away from Ally again and quietly spoke into the phone. “I’ll make sure I recharge the phone before I call so we don’t have to rush ourselves. You know I do, sweetheart. You better take a nap. I’m going to keep you up late.”

He waited for Mary to hang up first then slid his phone close. With a lingering grin on his lips she remained on his mind. His breathing became labored as he pictured their intimate times together; seeing her eager responses to his kisses and touches. Love was real. Who knew that this crazy feeling really existed? He had joked and teased others never believing it was an emotion he was capable of and here he was in such a short time, feeling as if he was truly living a fulfilling life for the first time.

Turning back around in his chair Alec was startled for a moment. He had forgotten Allison was still sitting there.

“Shit, you got it bad, boy.” Alison grinned shaking her head in disbelief.

“Yup,” Alec nodded and he couldn’t stop smiling. “I really do.”

“Is it Minnie Riperton’s, “Lovin’ You” good?” She asked.

“More like Journey’s, “When You Love a Woman” good.” He replied.

“Oh my damn.” Allison let out a low whistle. “That’s a deep gooey nobody want to hear about it kind of love.” She teased.

“Yup…yup.” He nodded and exhaled a long sigh of contentment.

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